Keep a Moon Journal

This project must be done by individuals.

The goal of this project is to keep track of the Moon -- its location and its appearance -- over the course of at least 30 days.

First, you must set aside time each day (and/or night) over the course of 30 consecutive days to look up in the sky for the Moon.

• If you see it, record the date, time, and its location in the sky. Use directions such as North, South, East, West, together with words like "high" or "low." For example,

  Sep 23, 8:20 PM. The moon was low in the southern sky.

• In addition, each time you see the Moon, make a little sketch showing its appearance. Round? Crescent? Which side is dark, and which is bright? Does it point up, or down? Draw a picture.
• If you don't see it, record the date and time, and note that you didn't see it. Explain why: was it cloudy? Or could you simply not see the Moon in the clear sky?

As you are making the observations, you should also gradually fill in a "phase calendar." Start by printing, or drawing, a page showing at least 30 days in a weekly format, something like this:

It doesn't have to fancy -- you just need a grid of blocks to represent the days.

Sketch the appearance of the Moon into the block corresponding to each day you saw it. If you recorded the Moon as being a thin crescent, bright on the left side, on day 20 of your observations, then draw a thin crescent, bright on the left side, into the block for day 20.

At the end of your observations, this "phase calendar" will summarize your measurements.

In order to receive full credit, you must turn in, in hardcopy, on paper,

1. the written record of your daily observations
2. your "phase calendar"

Copyright © Michael Richmond. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.